LeBron James calls for calm following Lakers' embarrassment in NBA Cup: "December what?"

LeBron James did not want to venture beyond the present after the Los Angeles Lakers fell 132-119 to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup quarter-final match. In the middle of December, despite the interest in knowing how he envisions the team heading into the playoffs in April, James abruptly halted any attempt to speak long-term.

"It's December what?" he initially replied when asked about the Lakers' competitive future. Upon learning it was December 10th, he was firm: "And you're talking about the playoffs? No, I can't do that. That's not my mindset. I can't think about what we can do in the playoffs in December."

The memory from two years ago when the Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup in Las Vegas also served as a reference to support his point. Back then, James had already warned that it was not an indicator of the team's ceiling. Now, outside the event in Nevada and with an upcoming game against the Suns in Phoenix, he once again focused on daily building.

"What I can say is that the habits we build each month during the regular season are what will allow us, if we are in a position to enter the playoffs, to be ready. But to talk about the damage we are going to do in the postseason in December... that is not right for the basketball gods. Not for me."

Defensive issues resurface

The analysis of the defeat highlighted the gap between the current Lakers and a team with serious aspirations. The Los Angeles team allowed a 50% field goal percentage and a 44.7% three-point shooting to a young Spurs squad that didn't even have their franchise player, Victor Wembanyama, due to a left calf injury.

Yet, San Antonio had seven players in double digits, with Stephon Castle scoring 30 points and De'Aaron Fox adding 20. Gregg Popovich's team will now travel to Las Vegas to face the reigning champion, Oklahoma City Thunder.

James acknowledged the difficulty in containing the dynamic Texas squad: "It's a unique team. They have six or seven guys who can literally break you down off the dribble. Super quick, super agile... some stronger, others better handlers. It's a very particular team, and they outmatched us."

Luka Doncic, scoring 35 points and providing eight assists, pointed in the same direction: "I think today was more about defense. They outplayed us. We scored 119 points; it should be enough. We just have to be better defensively."

LeBron's spark... and the halt

Despite the challenges, the Lakers managed to cut the deficit to eight points in the last quarter after trailing by 24. Marcus Smart contributed 26 points off the bench, and James recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists.

The most explosive moment came in the second quarter when James, at 40 years old, delivered the play of the night: a drive finished with a powerful dunk over the 7'1" center, Luke Kornet. James' roar and the crowd's reaction seemed to ignite a spark.

However, the momentum was short-lived. "It was just one play. You always want those momentum plays to sustain," he explained. "We had two turnovers right after. From an eight-point game, we went down by twelve at halftime. And as we started the third quarter, we were back twenty down."

The Lakers, now with a record of 17-7, continue to strive to build the foundations that James deems essential before considering bigger scenarios. December, he insists, is not the time to talk about springtime.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, LeBron James pide calma tras el bochorno de los Lakers en la NBA Cup: "¿Diciembre qué?"